How Much Is Stamp Duty In Different Countries?

Stamp duty is the name of the tax in the UK (or Ireland) levied on the buyer when certain types of goods, especially property, is bought. It may be called different things in other countries or defined legally as a "transfer of title" tax, but it's the same idea. Typically stamp duty is a set percentage of the purchase price of a property. But it is also usually tiered in some kind of way so different properities attract different rates.

The price structure for British stamp duty is described here; the percentage rate varies depending on sale price. It's 1% of the purchase price, for most properties.

Examples for other countries:
Australia: Varies by which state you buy in; first time buyers and some other groups get fee reduction. Otherwise ranges from 1-6.75%, depending on value of property.

Austria: 4.5%

Belgium: 12.5%, plus about another 2.5% for associated payment to the notary who handles the paperwork.

Denmark: 1.2%

France: 15.4%

Germany: 3%

Greece: 13%

Italy: 8%

Netherlands: 6%

Spain: 0.5-1% for new build (plus 7% sales tax). 6-7% for not brand-new houses; rate varies by region house is in.

United States: Varies by state. Generally zero or fairly low rates: Max 0.5-2%.